Story Of My Life.
Harry
"Harry!" I squealed just outside of my parents home.
"What? .. I just can't wait to get this off you." He said, smirking seductively at my blouse and petticoat whilst playing with ends of my scarf and eyeing my breasts.
Suddenly the door opened and there stood my father. His face was a stern and cold looking one. Did he hear everything that just happened? Harry looked most uncomfortable, but offered his hand out like a true gentleman.
“Hello, Mr. Anthony, I'm Harry. It is a pleasure to meet you.” He said with a beaming smile. Damn, those dimples.
My fathers expression changed almost instantaneously.
“Please, call me Nathan,” he smiled. “It is a pleasure to meet you as well, and we are very glad to have you here.”
“I am glad to be here Sir. Thank you for having me over.” Another smile..
Finally, MY father looks over to ME and embraces ME in a bear hug.
“Ah, Gracie, my little girl. I have missed you to the moon and back.” He said with small smile. It has been so long.
“Hi Daddy,” I whispered, taking in his warmth. “I have missed you more than all of the red M&M’s in the world.”
Pulling away from the tight embrace, he raised his eyebrows to look at us both.
When he was about to say something, my mother appeared in the doorway with her apron and oven mits.
“Oh Gracie! My darling, you have finally arrived! Oh dear, come here and give your old Mum a hug!”
She pulled me into a tight embrace just as my father had done. She smelled like home. Cinnamon and apples, with a hint pine-mint.... It really has been way too long.
“Oh my?” she broke my thoughts apart. “It is mighty cold out here we ought to get you tw-” She looked at Harry. She hadn’t even realised he was standing there until she went to grab for both of our arms.
She was going to speak but then I realised how cold I was.
“Mum, I will introduce you two inside the house! Now, get moving because I am chilled to the bone!”
“Right, right! Off to the kitchen!”
We moved on into the kitchen area where my parents had prepared a delicious smelling meal. Everything was there. Turkey, potatoes, corn, green beans, rolls, casseroles... anything and everything you can think of was placed in the middle of the kitchen.
My mum turned around from where she stood by the oven. I turned to Harry.
“Mum,” I said taking Harry’s hand and looking into his eyes. “This is Harry.... my fiancé.”
Breathe.
I looked to my parents. Clearly anyone would have thought they would have been shocked, and of course they were, but being that I have been away for so long, they couldn’t possibly expect me to tell them in advance, or even expect Harry to ask them for their blessing.
It was quiet. Finally, my father spoke up.
“Grace, why didn’t you say anything before?” he asked.
“Well, we weren’t in touch when Harry and I decided. I didn't really see much point in telling you right away.” I let out a little sigh and looked to my feet. They always seem more interesting when I am uncomfortable. Harry put his hand on my back.
My mum came and took my hands in hers. Then, lifted my chin so my green eyes met her brown ones.
“This is okay,” she smiled sweetly. “This is okay. Harry is a nice boy and we understand why you didn’t say anything to either of us.”
She looked to Harry and took his hands.
“My sweet boy, it is so nice to finally meet you. I am very glad you are able to join us this evening! For a Thanksgiving dinner!”
“I am very glad as well Mrs. Anthony. It smells heavenly." He let out a hard breath. "Also, I just want both of you to know that I will not do anything to hurt Grace. I love her very much. Without her I don’t know where I would be. Nothing else exists with her in my life. Not even gravity; she is the only thing that holds me to the ground.”
The room was quiet.
My mothers eyes began swell with tears.
“Well then,” She says. “It is settled. Harry is a part of our family! Now, let us eat!”
My mother gave Harry a hug and a kiss on the cheek and headed off to finish up some cooking. My father followed closely behind her.
“Well, mister, I guess it is just you and I.” I said turning to Harry and running my hands across his chest. “Shall I give you a proper tour of my house?”
“Yes,” he said in a low voice. “Does that include your room upstairs?”
I smacked his chest. He chuckled deeply.
“Harry, not here you animal. But hey, if you’re nice and you behave, then maybe I will give you a little reward.” I winked at him, grabbed his hand and began walking up the stairs.
“So,” I said once we got to the top. “That is the bathroom on the right, and all the way down the hall to the left, is my room.” I said turning around to face him and to hopefully go back downstairs without having to show him my room.
“Hey I want to see your room.” he said looking at me.
“No way. It is so embarrassing. Nope. Sorry.” I said smiling hoping he would take it and go downstairs. But nope.
“Turn around.” He said. When I didn’t move he turned me around and picked me up bridle style and walked down the hall to the door of my bedroom. With the hand underneath both my legs, Harry turned the knob and pushed the door open with his foot.
“Wow.” He said and set me on my feet. He walked around me to look at all of the things in my room.
It was just as I had remembered it too. Three deep burgundy walls and one a mustard yellow. Finished wood floors. My bed off in the corner against the windowsill. Lights, hanging in rows, across the ceiling from each ends of the room. My desk in the opposite corner, with the lamp my grandmother gave me for my fourteenth birthday. The dark emerald green fuzz-rug on the floor. My nightstand. The clock with that dreadful alarm. On the one mustard yellow wall hung hundreds of pictures and pieces of art, quotes, articles, a few bible verses..... and there stood Harry; gazing at them all in complete awe.
“What are yah looking at?” I said wrapping my arms around is torso.
“This one right here.” He said pointing to a picture of my sister and I.
We were at the lake that day, and we were sitting on the dock when we decided to jump off. Just before we hit the water, my father snapped this shot of us. We were hand-in-hand, both feet off the dock, flying through the air, awaiting the cold rush of life to hit our warm bodies at any moment. She died a year after that in a car accident. Lily Rose Anthony-- she was 13 and “the flower of our eyes [my parents’].”
“That’s my sister and I. It was a family trip we took to the lake one summer.” I said simply.
“That is amazing. It is really such a great photo.” He turned to me and smiled.
“I know. It really is. It is actually my favorite photo of all of them.” I said nostalgically.
I left Harry’s waist to sit on my bed.
“Ugh, I missed this bed!” I announced laying back onto it.
Harry turned around and grinned at me. Slowly, he made his way over to the edge of the bed and kneeled on it with one knee, then carefully climbed up onto it until he was hovering over me.
“Hello Harry.” I said smiling at his actions but trying to make nothing of them.
“Hello, beautiful.” He said, as he began kissing my collar bones.
TO BE CONT..
